CPD for Psychologists in Australia: How Psychodynamic Training Meets Your Requirements
Every registered psychologist in Australia needs to complete 30 hours of CPD each year. Most complete those hours. Fewer find that the CPD they're doing is actually changing how they practise.
That gap — between CPD as a compliance activity and CPD as genuine professional development — is what Deep Mind Psychodynamic Training was built to close.
This page covers what Australian psychologists need to know about CPD requirements, how structured training in psychodynamic and relational approaches counts toward those requirements, and why the psychologists who come through Deep Mind programs tend to describe them as the most clinically useful professional development they've done.
What the CPD Requirements Actually Are
The Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) requires all registered psychologists to complete a minimum of 30 CPD hours per registration year. Of those 30 hours, at least 10 must be peer consultation — structured activities focused on your own practice, such as supervision or case discussion groups.
The remaining 20 hours are general CPD: structured or unstructured learning activities that contribute directly to your competence to practise. The PsyBA takes a broad view of what counts here. Online courses, workshops, seminars, and structured training programs all qualify — provided they contribute to your professional development goals as a psychologist.
If you're an APS member, the requirements are the same: 30 hours annually, including at least 10 hours of peer consultation. The learning plan requirement is worth noting: the PsyBA expects you to develop a written learning plan based on self-assessment, identifying your CPD goals for the year. CPD that maps onto a genuine skill gap or area of intended development — rather than simply accumulating hours — is exactly what the standard is designed to encourage.
How Deep Mind Programs Count Toward Your CPD
Deep Mind programs are structured, clinically-focused training delivered by a registered clinical psychologist with 34 years of experience. They are not formally accredited by the APS or PsyBA as approved provider programs — which is worth being clear about upfront.
What they are is structured learning that meets the definition of general CPD under the PsyBA standard. Psychologists who complete Deep Mind programs can log those hours as general CPD, provided the training is relevant to their professional development goals — which, for any psychologist working with complex presentations or seeking to develop relational and psychodynamic skills, it clearly is.
The programs include:
The Deep Mind Transformation Method (4 weeks) A structured four-module course covering burnout and the therapist's role, psychodynamic foundations, attachment theory and neuroscience, and process-oriented therapy skills. Each module includes recorded content, live group sessions, and practical application. Hours are claimable as structured general CPD.
The Deep Mind Mastery Journey (8 weeks) Advanced training in psychodynamic and relational work, covering countertransference as clinical data, nonverbal communication, resistance, and the art of interpretation and relational presence. Designed for psychologists who have a foundation and want to develop genuine clinical depth. Hours are claimable as structured general CPD.
The Free Webinar The Deep Mind Transformation Method Webinar — a free, live one-hour introduction to psychodynamic principles and Socratic questioning — is a useful starting point and can be logged as general CPD activity.
If you're unsure how to log your hours or build these programs into your learning plan, the PsyBA's CPD guidelines are the authoritative reference. The key question is always whether the activity contributes to your competency goals — and for psychodynamic and relational training, the answer for most practising psychologists is straightforwardly yes.
Why CPD in Psychodynamic and Relational Approaches Is Particularly Valuable
There are many ways to complete 30 CPD hours. The question worth asking is: which CPD will actually make a difference to your clinical work in the next twelve months?
For psychologists trained primarily in structured, protocol-based approaches, the area with the most growth potential — and the most direct impact on day-to-day clinical experience — is typically the relational dimension of practice. How you manage countertransference. How you work with resistance without becoming adversarial. How you hold complexity with clients who don't fit the protocol.
These are the areas where psychologists most commonly report feeling undersupported by their training. They're also the areas most associated with burnout — the slow erosion of clinical confidence and meaning that comes from working without an adequate framework for what's actually happening in the room. If burnout is part of what's driving your interest in CPD, there's more on that on the psychologist burnout page.
Psychodynamic and relational training addresses these gaps directly. It's not theory for its own sake — it's a practical framework for the parts of clinical work that structured training doesn't fully equip you for. And the evidence base for this approach is substantial, which you can read more about on the relational therapy evidence base page.
Who This CPD Is For
Deep Mind programs are designed specifically for practising psychologists — not students, not allied health professionals broadly, but registered psychologists who are already in clinical work and want to deepen it.
The programs are particularly suited to psychologists who:
- Work primarily in CBT or structured approaches and feel a growing limitation with complex presentations
- Are experiencing burnout or a loss of clinical meaning and want to understand why — and what to do about it
- Have an interest in psychodynamic, relational, or attachment-based approaches but haven't had structured training in them
- Want CPD that changes how they practise, not just hours on a log sheet
- Are looking for connection with a community of peers who take the depth of clinical work seriously
The Deep Mind Suitability Quiz takes about ten minutes and gives you a clear sense of whether the programs are the right fit for where you are right now. You can take it here.
Who This CPD Is For
The PsyBA doesn't simply require hours — it requires CPD that contributes to your competency as a practising psychologist. The standard explicitly anticipates that psychologists will exercise professional judgement about what's relevant to their development.
That means the most valuable CPD is not necessarily the most expensive or the most credentialled. It's the training that closes a genuine gap in your skills or framework, that you will actually apply in the room with clients, and that makes you a more effective and sustainable practitioner.
After 34 years in clinical practice and training, the most consistent thing I hear from psychologists coming through Deep Mind programs is that they wish they'd found this kind of training earlier in their careers. Not because the content is difficult or arcane — because it addresses something real about their clinical experience that nothing else had quite named.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Deep Mind programs count as CPD for registered psychologists in Australia? Yes, as structured general CPD under the PsyBA standard. Deep Mind programs are not formally accredited by the APS or PsyBA as approved provider programs. However, the PsyBA recognises any structured learning that contributes to your professional development goals as a psychologist — and psychodynamic and relational training clearly meets that standard for practising clinicians.
How many CPD hours can I claim? You can claim the actual contact and structured learning hours involved. For the Transformation Method (4 weeks) and Mastery Journey (8 weeks), this includes recorded content, live group sessions, and structured practice time. Keep your own record of hours and activities as you would for any CPD.
Do I need to develop a learning plan that includes this training? The PsyBA requires a written learning plan based on self-assessment of your development needs. If developing psychodynamic and relational skills is a genuine goal for you — which for many psychologists it clearly is — including Deep Mind programs in that plan is entirely appropriate and straightforward.
Can I do this CPD online? Yes. All Deep Mind programs are delivered online via live Zoom sessions and recorded content, making them accessible to psychologists anywhere in Australia. This is one of the practical advantages — there's no need to travel to a capital city for a workshop.
What if I'm not sure whether psychodynamic training is the right CPD for me right now? The Deep Mind Suitability Quiz is a ten-minute self-assessment designed to help you work that out. It's honest about fit — if the programs aren't the right match for your current stage, it will say so.
What Psychologists Say About Deep Mind Programs
"I enjoyed this course. It was one of the most engaging and thought provoking courses I have ever completed. I have gained more out of this course, than previous trainings I have attended. It's 5 stars from me." — Edwina P., NSW
"I found the modules on projective identification the most helpful as it was highly relevant to my clinical work and made the biggest difference for me in being able to slow down internally... I felt very supported. The calls were excellent exposure for me to sit with my own projections and fears about sharing in a group setting." — Aimee M., QLD
"I feel that Tania always provided psychological safety and containment, no judgement or pressure if unable to attend live calls etc. Always operating with the stance of curiosity and openness to whatever emerged in the process. I feel she modelled the process aspects of group exceptionally well." — Courtney B., QLD
"The course allowed me to experience the richness of 'in vivo' relational formulations. I've also become much more comfortable having difficult conversations with clients which have led to transformative shifts." — Helena S., VIC
"I really noticed a measurable improvement in energy levels and more confidence in 'just being myself and that being good enough' this week. I feel my sessions are flowing better as a result." — Stephanie H., NSW
"I have been thinking for some time to write to you and express my gratitude for what your course has done for me. I am truly in a much better headspace since starting and applying the teachings to my practice. I have much more energy for myself, my family, and my work since focusing more on the process dimension and work in the present moment! I hope to revise the entire course when I have the chance to really let it sink in. Thank you!" — Behram B., QLD
Ready to Work Differently?
The annual CPD requirement is an opportunity, not just an obligation. Thirty hours is enough time to genuinely shift something in how you practise — if you choose training that addresses a real gap rather than just filling a log.
If psychodynamic and relational depth is that gap for you, Deep Mind is where to start.
Or join the free June webinar first — The Masterful Art of Socratic Questioning — a live, practical one-hour introduction at no cost.
Tania Kalkidis is a registered clinical psychologist (AHPRA PSY0000976980), member of the Australian Psychological Society and Australian Association of Psychologists Inc, and founder of Deep Mind Psychodynamic Training.
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